This is not America (Pay Attention)
“When I get older I will be stronger, they’ll call me freedom just like waving flag.”
Langston Hughes had the blues when he said
“Let American be America again”
But how could we let it be again
If America has yet began
Martin Luther King made a speech
That was supposed to speak to the minds
Of the weak who wouldn’t allow
Equality to peek in the free
Land of which we seek
Malcolm X didn’t believe in turning around
And walking away with
Peaceful commentary No! He believe in
Declaring our rights
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
This is what we were taught in school
Of how America came to be, through violence
And corruption and police brutality
Yet our ancestors were steady praying
For equality
This is supposed to be my home
Where I feel safe and protected but
How could that be when the color of my skin
Always gets me suspected of participating
In a violent act that gets me rejected
In getting a higher education or job opportunity
That I personally selected
That’s because the law system is nothing
But a rule book for survival of the fittest
So when a regular citizen gets
Put down and shot down by a man with a badge
He gets surprisingly acquitted
This is no shock to modern day society
Because it’s part of history
And why history repeats itself
Seems to be a mystery
First there’s a story of young Emmett Till
Who was accused of doing wrong
They say he whistled a song to a
White woman walking by so they
Beat him till he died
And his momma cried
There was little evidence to throw
The pale skin men in jail
That was the first sign the justice system failed
Rodney King was stopped in the street
Because the police thought he had a drink
Dragged him out his car and beat him til he bled
Beat him near death and in the court
Not guilty was pled
Fruitvale Station on New Year’s Day
The loudest gunshot couldn’t help
But be heard, Officer Johannes Mehserle
Was given 2 years but only did 11 months
After fatally shooting Oscar Julius Grant the III
Trayvon Martin was walking with
Skittles and Arizona and in his mind it’d be delicious
But George Zimmerman shot the 17-year-old
Down because he looked suspicious
Because Florida has a stand your ground law
Zimmerman got off and no one seemed
To feel for the child who’s
Life was wrongfully lost
It’s Illegal for the police to put
A citizen in a chokehold and put
Their job at ease but since
Eric Garner’s death everybody’s
Protesting the streets saying
“I CAN’T BREATH!”
And when I put my hands up
I’m signaling “don’t shoot” but while
Darren Wilson is still living his life
Mike Brown is in a casket wearing his best suit
Majority of suspects are always Minority
And making sure my generation doesn’t make it
Is Authorities number one priority
But does everybody pay attention NO!
Not if they’re not under watch or suspicion
But nobody’s going to help you when
You’re in your casket alone or in Juvenile Detention
It’s bad enough that we don’t even
Feel protected by men with a badge and gun
There were unnecessary wars and battles
For equality and freedom but nothing
Was really won
There’s genocide for African American
Males and they don’t even know it
But the fear circles their mind but
They’re not man enough to show it
But let me explain what’s got
Many generations brainwashed and
Manipulated; the mass media
And B.S. filled lies that are steady
Being generated
We’re so focused on the hottest
Mixtapes and unreleased tracks that
We wouldn’t even notice if the government
Is really feeding us free crack
We’re told to buy the shoes that celebrity’s
Endorse on T.V and Billboards
Same shoe with a different name
So what are we spending money for
When they tell us to pay attention and get an education
We turn stone cold and bitter
We don’t care about new unless it’s
A trending topic on twitter
Some of us got the worst behavior
But when we want special treatment we’re so quick
To demand it but when a fight breaks out
In the hallway we don’t stop it
We Instagram it
Individually fellas only want to know
Who’s gone throw it back on they latex
But they favorite line is “It ain’t mine”
Once she sends you that “Late text”
And girls only want to know each other’s
Business and always want to gossip
But when the tables get turned on you
That’s when you want to stop it
We don’t even notice why Authority
Believes they’re so slick
We’re so pleased and satisfied
With their false promises because
Their sarcasms come quick
With all the distractions
And million dollar attractions
We all go mentally broke and
Wonder what happen
This is not how America is
Supposed to be, driving us away
From the problem in equality
So where are our equal rights if
We all won the fight
We shouldn’t always have to step
In the ring and play death with trick dice
But please pay attention the system
Has always had us cheated but we
Are all too strong to raise
A white flag and say we’ve
Been defeated
The color of our skin and
Power to our words should
Blind America with a new sight
Being treated equal isn’t an option,
It’s a god given right.
Every time we pick up a gun
We shoot at our reflection and
We wonder why our people
Are steady being neglected
And if we stopped doing what’s expected
We wouldn’t look like a stereotype
And education and motivation would stop being our
Kryptonite
To what I’ve said and opened to you
You had to have learned something
I think it’s time we stop giving America so much
Sense America gives us much of
Nothing